“Weather at 18,000 Feet, Cold Front in Small Cumulonimbus Cloud” by Eric Sloane (American, 1905-1985), 37 by 29 inches framed, was the top-selling lot of the sale and came with a letter from the artist written circa 1975. The painting soared to $7,800 ($4/6,000).
Review by Kiersten Busch
SARASOTA, FLA. — Freedom Auction Company closed out the month of November with its Americana and The Dealer’s Cabinet online-only auction, which offered just under 1,000 lots of various Americana, antiques, advertising, primitives, apothecary items, fine art, militaria, toys and more. “The auction was a success, having been held over the holiday weekend,” commented Brian Hollifield, owner of Freedom. “It was one of our most attended online auctions to date. Prices were strong across all categories.”
Although Freedom does not publish its sale totals, Hollifield could share that the sale had a 97 percent sell-through rate. As for the bidding pool, Hollifield attested, “There were winners from across the globe, with 90 percent being here in the US.”
Leading the day was “Weather at 18,000 Feet, Cold Front in Small Cumulonimbus Cloud” by American landscape painter, illustrator and author Eric Sloane. The lot also included a letter from the artist, penned circa 1975, authenticating the painting. An excerpt read: “The painting is indeed mine, done I’d say about 1939 — over 35 years ago. Of course I’ve improved since then (I hope)…” A buyer from the West Coast secured the painting for $7,800. Of the lot, Hollifield said, “It was nice to see this work do what it should.”
The first lot of the day, this 1943 Mark V US Navy diving helmet by DESCO, Milwaukee, Wis., was one of 550 manufactured that year. It also earned the second highest price of the sale, $5,500 ($8/12,000).
The first lot of the day, a US Navy Mark V diving helmet produced by DESCO, the Diving Equipment and Salvage Corp (Milwaukee, Wis.), dove to $5,500, the second highest price of the sale. The helmet included a DESCO football tag on its front — an etched sheet of brass with a black enamel background — which included the year it was made, 1943. According to the auction catalog, “It is estimated by DESCO that only about 550 helmets were produced in 1943. This helmet is documented in the DESCO archive.” This example was numbered 214 of 550. The helmet and its accompanying breastplate sat on a custom padded stand and included an interior lamp. According to catalog notes, the consignor received the helmet as a gift from their neighbor, who served in the US Navy during World War II.
Apothecary items were well represented among the highest selling lots, with an antique white porcelain jar used for leeches sucking up to $2,500 against its $200/400 estimate. Hollifield noted, “There had been lots of interest on the Leeches jar, and the price reflected the level of interest.” The jar, which included the word “Leeches” in blue on its body, was most likely used to house the leeches used for the medical practice of bloodletting, according to catalog notes.
On a related note, a 28-by-9-inch trade sign for an optometrist, shaped like a large pair of glasses, made close to two times its high estimate. The lenses, made from actual glass, bore gilt lettering that read, “Glasses Fitted.” Ultimately, the sign saw a clear result of $1,500.
Bidders were certainly seeing clearly when they pushed this trade sign for an optometrist’s office shaped like a large pair of glasses with gilted “Glasses Fitted” lettering past its $400/800 estimate to earn $1,500.
The furniture category was led by an antique Welsh Queen Anne cupboard dresser by Dublin manufacturers John Dooly & Sons. The dresser contained double cupboards and plate shelving, along with tip drawers on its lower half and a tin-lined porridge drawer. Standing at 83 inches high, the dresser towered at $2,250.
There was continued interest in home furnishings, as a Persian silk hand-knotted carpet rolled out to $1,250. The 49-by-75-inch rug had deep blue fields surrounded by floral designs.
Freedom’s next sale, on February 15, will be the first of three important circus memorabilia auctions in 2025. Session one will focus on general circus collectibles. Freedom is also currently gathering and accepting consignments for a follow-up to the Americana and The Dealer’s Cabinet sale, which will take place in the early spring.
Prices quoted include buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. For information, 941-725-2166 or www.freedomauctions.com.
